Essential Facts About Pomeranians You Should Know

If you want a small dog breed with a huge character, few are better than the Pomeranian. Typically categorized as a lap dog, the Pom still has quite a bit of energy to be a lively and playful companion and not just a lazy lap boy.

This breed is often thought to have a penchant for barking but that’s not anything you can’t easily train out of your dog. Are there other things to consider with this breed, however? Here are the 9 crucial things to know about the Pomeranian.

9 things to consider before getting a Pomeranian

Small, fluffy, and quite jumpy – these are the things you can see about Pomeranians at a first glance. Surely, there are other hidden characteristics you need to be aware of ahead of time too though, right?

1. These little furballs are close cousins to Huskies and Malamutes

Believe it or not, Pomeranians are actually pretty closely related to Huskies and the even larger Malamutes. Ok, they are not that closely related – the Pomeranian breed was developed a couple of centuries ago. However, it is still considered a Spitz breed, i.e. of the same family as all other Alaskan and Siberian dog breeds.

Spitz breed have been and still are traditionally used for all types of work tasks such as sled pulling, hunting, and herding. All such types of work are long behind the Pom, however, as this tiny breed has been exclusively bred as a pet for quite some time.

2. This is a royal pet breed coming from Germany and Poland

The Pom breed as we know it today was initially bred in the region of Pomerania in northern Germany and Poland – hence, the name. These dogs were originally larger but even then they weren’t as large as most other Spitz breeds. As far as we know, the original Pomeranian was about 30 pounds heavy (14 kg) – at the border between small and medium-sized dog breeds.

However, during the 19th century, breeders started prioritizing size over other characteristics and bred the dogs to be as small as possible. This is a trend noticeable with other breeds at the time too as the royal courts and European nobility at the time had started being enthralled by small dog breeds.

The Pomeranian, now shrunk in size, quickly became one of the most popular breeds among the nobility and royalty of central and western Europe. Queen Victoria also famously brought several Pomeranians to England with her after her travels across Europe in the late 1,800s. She started breeding them in England too and even won several competitions with them.

So, for the past couple of centuries, Pomeranians were bred and used exclusively as pets and not as work dogs.

3. This isn’t even a small dog breed – it’s a toy breed

The original Pomeranian dogs may have been on the border between small and medium dogs but today’s Poms are way smaller than that. The standard height at the shoulder of an adult Pom today is 6 to 7 inches (15 to 18 cm). The expected weight of an adult and non-obese dog is just 3 to 7 pounds (1.5 to 3 kg). This is drastically less than the 30 pound / 14 kg average of two centuries ago.

In fact, this even puts the Pomeranian dogs below the minimal threshold for small dog breeds of 12 pounds or 5.5 kg. So, the Pomeranian breed can more accurately be described as a miniature or a toy breed even if this isn’t always noticeable because their fluffy coat tends to give them the illusion of volume.

4. Pomeranians are double-coated and require quite a bit of grooming

Probably the most noticeable feature of Poms aside from their tiny size is their gorgeous coat. Many Pom owners get their dogs exclusively for the coat even though there are many other great reasons to own this dog.

As with other Spitz breeds, the Pomeranian’s coat is double-coated. This means that it has a thick undercoat layer that provides insulation and a gorgeous upper layer for protection. However, it also means quite a lot of brushing for you. Needless to say, if you’re looking for a low-maintenance breed, the Pom isn’t for you even just for that reason alone.

With this dog, you’ll need to do extensive daily brushings with quality tools. This is important not only to gather any loose fur but also to keep your dog’s hair from matting and tangling.

Aside from that, you’ll also need frequent baths with quality hair products. As an indoor breed, the Pom also needs regular nail trims. And, you’d also want to do the standard dental hygiene and ear & eye cleanings.

The occasional groomer visit can save you some trouble, especially around the coat blow-outs in the spring and fall. However, you’d still need to do most things yourself.

5. There are a total of 23 Pomeranian color variations recognized by most kennel clubs

For all the fuss around the Pom’s coat, it is nevertheless quite breathtaking. The AKC recognized 23 official coat colors of this breed including black, blue, chocolate, cream, brindle, red, red sable, orange, orange sable, blue sable, cream sable, white, beaver, chocolate merle, black and tan, black and brindle, blue and tan, blue and brindle, chocolate and tan, wolf sable, beaver sable, and tri-colored.

Other kennel clubs may not recognize some of those or accept others but what’s sure is that Poms always look stunning.

6. Poms are very smart and not too difficult to train

Enough talk about looks – Pomeranians are more than just a cute package. Like all Spitz breeds, Poms are highly intelligent. That’s true even though they haven’t needed to use their brains for work in centuries.

Still, all that inherent intelligence is there and it’s up to you whether you want to harness it and how. Extensive obedience training early on is a must for that and it’d also help with the potty training. Do that and you’ll be able to teach your Pom to do pretty much anything. Without adequate training, however, Pomeranians can become quite stubborn and obstinant.

7. This is a highly energetic breed for its miniature size

Pomeranians are typically viewed as a lap dog breed and rightly so – they do love snuggling in their humans’ laps. However, those dogs are also quite energetic like most other Spitz breeds. Yet, the small size of these dogs means that as energetic as they are, they do get tired pretty easily. They also don’t need that much extra space for running as they they are literally as small as a toy car.

So, you can easily look after a Pom in an apartment and still satisfy all of your dog’s exercise needs. A couple of short walks outside for the dog’s toilet needs are all you need and the rest of its running and playtime the Pom can do in the living room.

8. Pomeranians are a pretty social and friendly breed if you avoid the risk of Napoleon’s Complex

Pomeranians may be temperamental but they are still perfectly social and friendly dogs. All you need to do to ensure that is to socialize your dog at an early age. Do that, and almost any Pomeranian will happily get along with other people, kids, other dogs, and even cats and other pets.

How does square with the Pom’s reputation for barking at anything that moves, however?

It’s true that Poms often bark at strangers or larger dogs. This is a phenomenon typical for quite a few smaller dog breeds and it’s often called Napoleon’s Complex. However, this isn’t really anything tied to the breed – it’s just a consequence of how smaller breeds are raised and trained.

With larger dogs, people just tend to be careful to train and socialize them properly – otherwise, a large dog can be dangerous. With tiny dogs like the Pom, however, people often skip all training and socialization cause the pup is harmless and cute when it barks. So, then people wonder why their Pom is aggressive when it grows up – it’s all about training and socialization.

9. Poms can have a pretty long lifespan and are a generally healthy breed

The average lifespan of a Pomeranian is 12 to 16 years. This is in line with most other small breeds. Plus, a Pom can surpass that average if it comes from a healthy lineage and is well taken care of. The few potential health issues you’d want to look out for include Collapsed trachea, Patellar luxation, Hypoglycemia, Cataracts, Eye infections, and a few others.

You probably see by now why Pomeranians are such a popular breed. These miniature Huskies are lively and fun, while also being social, friendly, and affectionate. They are easy to look after in an apartment and pretty adaptable too. Great for kids and other pets they are also quite smart and easy to deal with.

The need for training and socialization shouldn’t be underestimated, of course, and their gorgeous coat does need quite a bit of hair. Proper healthcare is also important even though the breed is quite healthy overall. Do that and you’ll get a wonderful family companion for more than a decade and a half.